Dark gray background with foreground text that says Private Acts Compilations


Law Enforcement - Historical Notes

Tennessee Code Annotated
Tennessee Attorney General Opinions

County Rangers

The following act once applied to the County Ranger in Fayette County but is no longer in effect.

  1. Private Acts of 1957, Chapter 244, authorized supplemental compensation for County Rangers not to exceed $1,200 in any calendar year which was entirely discretionary with Quarterly Court as to whether granted.

Militia

Those acts once affecting Fayette County, which related to the militia and to other law enforcement agencies other than the sheriff, are mentioned below in chronological order.

  1. Acts of 1824, Chapter 40, designated the militia of Fayette County as the 88th Regiment of Tennessee and assigned the militia of the Counties of Fayette, Shelby, Tipton, Haywood, and Madison to the 14th Brigade.  The field officers of those units were scheduled to meet at Jackson on the first Thursday in February, 1825, to select a Brigadier General to command the brigade.

  2. Acts of 1825, Chapter 69, was a new military code for the State which contained Tables of Organization and rules, regulations, or directives for every conceivable situation.  Fayette County's unit continued as the 88th Regiment and the Regimental Muster and drill would occur on the third Saturday in September annually.  The Counties of Shelby, Tipton, Haywood, and Fayette made up the 14th Tennessee Brigade.

  3. Acts of 1827, Chapter 60, scheduled the county drills for the militia units in the counties of Shelby, Hardeman, and Fayette.  In Fayette County, the county drill would be held on the Monday and Tuesday preceding the third Friday and Saturday in September of each year.

  4. Acts of 1835-36, Chapter 21, organized the State Militia in accordance with the stipulations contained in the new 1835 State Constitution, and constituted the whole new military code of the State.  The Table of Organization showed the Fayette County units as the 126th and the 127th Regiments which were to be a part of the 22nd Brigade which also had in it the Counties of McNairy, Hardeman, and Shelby.

  5. Acts of 1837-38, Chapter 157, was a schedule of the dates set aside for the county musters and drills for every militia unit in the State.  In the 22nd Brigade the times were fixed for the counties of McNairy, Hardeman, Shelby, and for Fayette's unit which would muster and drill countywide on the Thursday and Friday following the first Friday and Saturday in September of each year.

  6. Acts of 1841-42, Chapter 187, assigned Fayette County and Shelby County as the 23rd Brigade of Tennessee Militia which would be a part of the Fourth Division.  The white males in the counties between the ages of 18 and 45 may hold an election on the first Saturday in March 1842, for the selection of a Brigadier General to command the Brigade and the person getting the highest number of votes would be the Brigadier General.

  7. Acts of 1861 (Ex. Sess.), Chapter 3, was the law under which the militia of Tennessee raised, organized, and equipped the States forces for the Civil War.  This Act also placed the State and all the armed services in a state of preparation for war.